Scanners, copiers, and other office equipment using cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) take a long time for the bulb to warm up. This warmup time is the time required to achieve an acceptable light level and stability for the purpose of acquiring a good quality scan. Slow warmup is an inherent problem with CCFLs because they contain mercury. At room temperature, much of the mercury is in liquid state, and it must first be vaporized before it can contribute to the light generation process.
A common approach is to wait 1-3 minutes for the lamp to completely warmup before use. However, customers are dissatisfied with this long wait. Another approach is to leave the lamp on all the time. However, this will consume the lamp's useful life in only 1 to 2 years, requiring costly repair and downtime.
A new method described here has been shown to minimize the impact of warmup time on the customer, while maintaining long lamp life. This method assures that the customer will wait only the minimum time necessary for the bulb to warmup and achieve a good quality image.